


Aiding and Abetting

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Eddie helps Joe out, F/M, Gen, Non-Canon Relationship, Secret Relationship, West Family Dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 10:50:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3407828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe keeps getting texts at the dinner table. Barry and Iris are not impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aiding and Abetting

**Author's Note:**

> For the one million words weekend challenge. My prompt was "You put that damn thing away, before I make you eat it!"

"You put that damn thing away before I make you eat it!" 

Joe started when he heard those words, both because of the volume and because Barry's voice seemed a good octave lower than it normally did. It was almost like Barry was doing an impersonation of someone and when Joe looked up from his cell phone, saw Barry's grin and Iris's barely suppressed smile, he knew that that was exactly what was happening. 

Eddie, on the other hand, looked completely confused and Iris took pity on him, resting her hand on top of his. "That's what Dad used to say to us..."

"Mostly me," Barry interjected. 

"Mostly Barry, whenever he tried to have his Gameboy out at the table." 

Joe held up a hand in mock surrender as Barry nodded. "Apparently the rules for technology have changed in the last ten years," he said. "Although, Iris, didn't I get my wrist metaphorically slapped last week when I got a call during Sunday dinner?"

"Indeed you did." Iris's eyes were dancing and Joe pursed his lips. 

"No fair the two of you ganging up on me," he muttered. "And for your information, it was a work text." Too late he remembered that his partner was sitting beside him, his partner who would be well aware that there was no-one who would be texting him. His partner who was all too prone to putting his foot in his mouth. 

Iris narrowed her eyes. "I don't see Eddie getting any messages," she pointed out and Joe was about to reply but Eddie beat him to it. 

"My phone's on silent in my jacket pocket," he said, gesturing towards the coat stand in the hall. "You can fill me in later." He nodded at Joe like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

The conversation moved on until they'd finished dinner and that was when Joe's phone vibrated again and Iris and Barry both glowered at him. Joe considered whether he should read the message until Eddie spoke up. "It's work, Iris..." He threw in a shrug for good measure and Joe gave an apologetic smile as he took up his phone. 

The message was short and simple: "See you later? C x" and it was an effort to keep a smile from his lips as he texted back, "I'll see what I can do."

He wasn't quite sure what excuse he was going to give; to his surprise, Eddie came to his rescue. "Don't tell me we have to meet him." 

Joe was so surprised he couldn't speak but it certainly sounded plausible. It was plausible enough that Iris rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I hate your job," she told them both, but there was a faint smile on her face when she said it. 

"You guys need me?" Barry asked, ready to stand up and it was Eddie once again who answered. 

"It's a CI of Joe's we're working on... trying to break up a drug ring downtown. You stay here, keep Iris company." He stood, kissed Iris on the cheek. "We shouldn't be long...I'll call you when I'm on my way home."

Joe kissed Iris too and when they were out on the front porch he turned to Eddie, spread his hands and shook his head. Eddie only grinned. "I figured you needed an out," he said, shoving his hands in his pants pockets and rocking backwards and forwards on his heels. "Tell Caitlin I said hello." Joe's jaw went slack and his initial impulse was to deny everything. Then he saw Eddie chuckle, run a hand over his jaw. "You must think I'm a terrible detective," he said mildly, with no recrimination in his tone. 

"Far from it," Joe told him, running through every move he'd made, every conversation they'd had in the last few months. "How did you know?" 

Eddie shook his head. "I can't tell you all my secrets," he grinned. "Come on, let's go... I'll head back to the precinct, catch up on paperwork, call Iris in a couple hours... I'll make something up about you going someplace else if she's still here..."

"Man, I owe you one," Joe told him and Eddie gave him a look. 

"I cover for you, get you out of dinner without rousing suspicion and I'm finishing paperwork? You owe me more than one."

There was no way Joe could argue with that and he didn't even try. "No doubt," he said as they fell into step on their way to their cars. Placing his cell phone into the cradle he pressed a couple of buttons as he began to drive. "Hey it's me," he said when Caitlin picked up. "I'm on my way."

"How did you get away?" 

Caitlin sounded curious and Joe shook his head, knowing that she couldn't see him. "I'll tell you when I see you," he promised. "But you're not going to believe it..."


End file.
